links.push(`foundation_german_textboox',
	`https://wisc.pb.unizin.org/readinggerman/')

<h2>A foundation course in reading german</h2>

<p>
A textboox aimed to educate beginner german students on foundational aspects (that
is, the grammar), so that the major obstacle for grasping the language is
limited to the breath of their vocubaly.

<p>
This is open textbook and can be found at
<a href=links.fetch(foundation_german_textboox)>here</a>.

<h2>Unit 1</h2>

<p>
This chapters details some important fundamentals regarding the language. The
most important are the proper use of definite articles and how to recognize the
characteristics of a noun, i.e, gender and wheter it's in singular or plural
form.

<h3>Summary</h3>

<pl>
All German nouns are capitalized.

<pl>
Learn each noun with their respective definite article.

<pl>
Look at the definite articles and word endings that modify a noun to find
out if its plural or singular form.

<a>Some tell-tale signs of gender in nouns are:

<ul>

<li>
The suffixes <em>chen</em> or <em>lein</em>, which are used for diminitutives.
<li>
Humans and animals <em>usually</em> will have their equivalent gender
article.
<li>
All nouns that end in <em>ei</em>, <em>heit</em>, <em>ie</em>, <em>in</em>,
<em>keit</em>, <em>schaft</em>, <em>tät</em>, <em>ung</em> are feminine.

</ul>

<pl>
Memorize the verbs <em>sein</em> (to be) and <em>haben</em> (to have) and their
conjugations, as they are very recurrent. Here are they in the present tense and
simple past forms:

<table>
<caption>Present tense conjugations of <em>sein</em>.</caption>
<tr><th>Sigular				<th>Plural
<tr><td>ich bin (I am)		<td>wir sind (we are)
<tr><td>du bist (you are)	<td>ihr seid (you are)
<tr><td>er ist (he is)		<td>sie sind (they are)
<tr><td>sie ist (she is)	<td>Sie sind (you are)
<tr><td>es ist (it is)
</table>

<table>
<caption>Past tense conjugations of <em>sein</em>.</caption>
<tr><th>Sigular			<th>Plural
<tr><td>ich war (was)	<td>wir waren (were)
<tr><td>du warst		<td>ihr wart
<tr><td>er war 			<td>sie waren
<tr><td>sie war 		<td>Sie waren
<tr><td>es war
</table>

<table>
<caption>Present tense conjugations of <em>haben</em>.</caption>
<tr><th>Sigular				<th>Plural
<tr><td>ich habe (I have) 	<td>wir haben (we have)
<tr><td>du hast (you have) 	<td>ihr habt (you have)
<tr><td>er hat (he has) 	<td>sie haben (they have)
<tr><td>sie hat (she has) 	<td>Sie haben (you have)
<tr><td>es hat (it has)
</table>

<table>
<caption>Past tense conjugations of <em>haben</em>.</caption>
<tr><th>Sigular			<th>Plural
<tr><td>ich hatte (had) <td>wir hatten
<tr><td>du hattest 		<td>ihr hattet
<tr><td>er hatte 		<td>sie hatten
<tr><td>sie hatte 		<td>Sie hatten
<tr><td>es hatte
</table>

<pl>
<em>du</em> and <em>ihr</em> are informal pronuns for "you". The formal you is
<em>Sie</em> which is always capitalized.

<pl>
All verbs, except <em>sein</em>, ending in <em>en</em> are plural.

<pl>
German present never conveys a past, completed event. So, don't use past tense
to translate german present tense.

<pl>
The German definite article article only changes in the accusative case for
masculine objects.

<table>
<caption>
German definite article according to gender and case (nominative and
accusative)
</caption>

<tr><th>Case<th>Masculine<th>Feminine<th>Neuter<th>Plural
<tr><th>Nominative<td>der<td>die<td>das<td>die
<tr><th>Accusative<td>den<td>die<td>das<td>die
</table>

<table>
<caption>
The indefinite article <em>ein</em> according to case, gender and plurality.
</caption>
<tr><th>Case<th>Masculine<th>Feminine<th>Neuter<th>Plural
<tr><th>Nominative<td>ein Tisch<td>eine Feder<td>ein Bett<td>keine Tische
<tr><th>Accusative<td>einen Tisch<td>eine Feder<td>ein Bett<td>keine Federn
</table>

<pl>
"a", "an" or "one" is translated to <em>ein</em>. To denote something
negativity or abscence, use <em>keine</em>.

<pl>
German has a more flexible word order than english. For example, both of the
following sentences have the same meaning:

<ul>
	<li><em>Der Hund hat den Ball</em>.
	<li><em>Den Ball hat der Hund</em>.
</ul>

<pl>
So don't rely on english word other matching one to one.

<pl>
The main verb is always in the second position.

<pl>
Use the following steps to understand a sentence:

<ol>
	<li>The part before the verb, which therefore must be a single unit of meaning.
	<li>The verb, which – also usefully for you – will always be a verb form
	conjugated to match the sentence subject, and 
	<li>The part after the verb, which may include several units of meaning.
</ol>

<pl>
Yes or no questions always begin with the verb.

<pl>
Important question words are wer – who, wen – whom (accusative) and was – what.

<pl>
Important abbreviations to remember are:

<ul>
	<li>z.B. = zum Beispiel (for example);
	<li>usw. or usf. = und so weiter and und so fort (et cetera);
	<li>d.h. = das heißt (in other words / that means);
	<li>bzw. = beziehungsweise (respectively / that is to say).
</ul>
